The present invention relates generally to the field of shelf brackets and associated posts.
Commercial shelves include vertically extending posts with a plurality of vertically arranged slots receiving the proximal end of shelf brackets cantileveredly mounted thereto. The brackets include a plurality of fingers at the proximal end that project into the slots allowing the shelf resting atop the fixture to be adjusted to and from a horizontal position and an inclined position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,873 discloses an angularly adjustable shelf bracket having a plurality of fingers at its proximal end that project into a slotted post or in the bracket to be adjusted to and between a plurality of different angular positions.
Another adjustable shelf assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,723 wherein the shelf bracket includes a plurality of resilient finger portions extendable into elongated slots of a vertically extending box channel support post.
Yet another prior art shelf fixture is shown in FIG. 1. The shelf bracket includes four approximate end fingers extendable into a slotted box channel. Two separate shelf brackets are shown and mounted to the post of FIG. 1 with the top bracket being in the horizontal position whereas the bottom bracket is positioned in an inclined position. The top three fingers of each bracket have downwardly opening recesses or slots receiving the front wall of the post thereby releasably locking the shelf bracket in a horizontal position. At the same time, the bottom or fourth finger abuts the outwardly facing surface of the front wall of the post. In the inclined position, the front wall of the post is not positioned in the finger slots or recesses and instead an upper stop surface on the top finger abuts interiorly the post front wall while the bottom most finger projects into the post.
I have improved the prior art brackets shown in FIG. 1 in two aspects. First, the lower edge portion of top bracket 10 will interfere with object 11 resting atop bracket 12 even though bracket 12 is in the inclined position. Therefore, there is a need to provide a deep recess in the lower edge of the shelf bracket in order to maximize the storage space therebeneath. Due to the cantilever mounting of the bracket, such a deep recess weakens the prior bracket. I have provided a new bracket disclosed in FIG. 2 having a deep recesses in the lower edge thereof to maximize storage therebeneath and have maintained the strength of the bracket by embossing the lower recess bracket edge.
The prior post and shelf brackets are produced from relatively heavy material. For example, the wall thickness of the prior post is typically 0.187 inches of high strength material. My new post utilizes medium strength material having a wall thickness of 0.105 inches. Likewise, the wall thickness of sheet metal shelf bracket 10 shown in FIG. 1 is typically 13 gauge or 0.108 inches whereas the wall thickness of the new bracket shown in FIG. 2 is 14 gauge or 0.078 inches.
In order to achieve the wall thickness of the shelf bracket while maintaining the required bracket strength, I have added the embossment to the lower edge of the shelf bracket. Brackets 10 and 12 (FIG. 1) are held to the post via the ribs 14 extending between adjacent holes 15 through which the bracket fingers extend. In order to reduce the wall thickness of post 13 including the thickness of ribs 14, the new design includes horizontally extending embossments on the ribs. The resultant weight reductions in the long post with the attached shelf brackets are very substantial with the aforementioned improvements. Likewise, the estimated cost savings using the improved post and shelf brackets is 20-30 percent.
One embodiment of the present invention is a support for a shelf comprising a vertical post having a vertical front wall with an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface. The front wall has a plurality of openings spaced along the length thereof that extend through the outwardly facing surface and the inwardly facing surface. The front wall includes a plurality of horizontally extending cross ribs with a separate cross rib being located between each of the openings. The cross ribs are embossed forming a front embossed surface and a rear embossed surface spaced apart a distance equal to the front wall thickness. A shelf bracket has a distal end and a proximal end with a plurality of proximal fingers extending from the proximal end into the openings. The fingers are arranged to contact the vertical post allowing the shelf bracket to be adjusted relative to the post from a first position to support the shelf in a horizontal position to a second position to support the shelf in an inclined position. The bracket includes a vertical extending sheet metal main body with a lower edge forming a downwardly facing recess to minimize interference with items placed therebeneath. The main body has an embossed edge portion extending along the recess from the bottom most of the fingers toward the distal end.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shelf system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable shelf assembly that maximize the storage space therebeneath.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable shelf assembly produced from thinner material as compared to the prior shelf assemblies while maintaining shelf strength.